Brier, << BRY uhr, >> also called tree heath, is a shrubby plant of the heath family. It grows near the Mediterranean coast in Europe. The brier has tiny leaves and a woody stem. It bears fragrant, white, globe-shaped flowers. The brier has thick, close-grained, hard roots, which are used in making pipes for smoking tobacco. The root is strong and durable. The best roots are dead ones that have been seasoned in the ground for many years. American and British people often call blackberry and dog-rose plants “briers.” The sensitive brier, which is not a true brier, is native to North America.
